Peaks make it four on the trot after downing premiers

Manypeaks stormed to a fourth straight one-day victory as the battle for second spot in the Albany Cricket Association A-grade competition heats up with six rounds to play.

In the top-of-the-table clash with Railways at Turf West on Saturday afternoon, Peaks produced another terrific display with the ball on their way to a tense five-wicket victory.

Chasing 114 to win, Peaks had to survive a hat-trick from Nathan Crudeli in a brilliant spell that had the Tigers momentarily on track for an unlikely win.

In their attempt at a fifth- straight A-grade title, the Tigers again showed some cracks in a usually formidable batting line-up as only Zane Marwick and Crudeli made double figures in the top six.’

The Tigers lost 5-33 to be all out for 113 in the 43rd over as left-armer Warwick Durack (3-20) and spinner Craig Sinclair (3-18) did the damage.

Zane Marwick made 45 for the second consecutive week and Crudeli was run out on 11, while Hayden Davies (15) was the only major contributor with the blade.

Crudeli beat Ryan Kinnear’s defence early but a 79-run partnership from Sinclair and an aggressive Harry Broomhall had Peaks on track for a comfortable victory.

Broomhall hit four boundaries and two sixes in his quickfire 47 but Crudeli trapped him lbw in the 31st over to leave Peaks 2-91.

Sinclair could only watch on at the other end as Crudeli produced the first hat-trick of his senior career to put Peaks’ chase in disarray.

In the final three balls of his 10th and final over, Crudeli had Wade Anning dismissed after edging one to wicketkeeper Aidan Dallimore without troubling the scorers, Durack was clean bowled and Myles O’Meehan had his stumps rattled as Peaks slumped to 5-100.

Sinclair remained resilient and his second half-century of the one-day format was easily his most important innings of the season.

Peaks used exactly one more delivery than the Tigers faced to secure victory, reaching 5-114 as Sinclair was unbeaten on 53 and Seb Stanton on three.

It was Peaks’ sixth one-day win and a vital one given the present battle for second spot, having now beaten the Tigers, Royals, Mt Barker and Collingwood Park since the mid-season break.

Crudeli’s efforts of 5-14 were in vain as his side suffered its third loss of the competition, with the absence of injured pair Mitch Green and Coen Marwick, along with Matt Walters, evident.